


The Calm Between Storms

by malsseong



Series: After the Mountain [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 12:56:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3489059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malsseong/pseuds/malsseong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She’s spent so much time — since that night at Mount Weather, since Lexa’s betrayal — imagining how this meeting would go. She’s spent whole nights practicing what she’ll say when she eventually meets the Commander again; only to scrap her entire speech as soon as early morning light starts to filter in through her eyelids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Calm Between Storms

She knew the meeting would be tense.

She wasn’t sure what would happen exactly. She’s spent so much time — since that night at Mount Weather, since Lexa’s betrayal — imagining how this meeting would go. She’s spent whole nights practicing what she’ll say when she eventually meets the Commander again; only to scrap her entire speech as soon as early morning light starts to filter in through her eyelids.

She’s imagined how Lexa would react to news of her survival. To seeing the woman she showed weakness to, only to turn around and stab in the back.

In her head, she’s gone through the motions of every possible scenario; lived out every course of action in her mind’s eye.

And yet it still takes her by surprise. The way Lexa’s lips pull into a small genuine smile — despite the presence of her subordinates in the room — the moment the tent flap is pulled aside and their eyes meet.  
The not-quite-concealed look of relief in the Commander’s eyes.

But Lexa’s smart, and she has an intricate understanding of human emotions — even if she doesn’t show them herself. And she knows that this is not a happy reunion; she can read the fury in Clarke’s eyes, in the way she clenches her fists — fists that are still wrapped in Grounder gloves.  
So she doesn’t dismiss her guards, because she knows that she’s poked the beast, and now the beast is angry.

“We meet again, Clarke of the Sky People,” she says, her voice dripping with confidence; she did what was right for her people, and she will not show any sign of regret.

“Lexa,” Clarke responds, and wishes immediately that she’d addressed the other woman as ‘Commander’ the way she’d planned to. “I’ve come to make a deal.” She’s trying to be diplomatic, because as much as this hurts her personally, she’s here on behalf of her people. But she can’t resist getting in one jab, “And we both know how much you like deals.”

The commander seems to ignore the comment as she rises from her throne, gesturing towards the map table, indicating for Clarke to walk ahead of her.

Clarke stops with her hands resting on the wooden surface.

She’s not surprised when the commander comes to stand by her side, close enough to speak softly without the others in the room hearing.

“I did what I needed to do, Clarke,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

Clarke knew it was coming, but it still stings, just as it did the first time.

But she isn’t expecting the whisper that comes next. “You make me weak. But I prayed you wouldn’t be taken from me.”

And she really isn’t expecting the way Lexa’s hand breaches the gap between them, shielded by their bodies so the others can’t see, and her hand trembles slightly in the air. And the backs of her knuckles press against Clarke’s arm — just for a moment, as if to reassure herself that the woman standing before her is real — before she retracts her hand, clears her throat, and pulls a map towards them.

But of all the surprises to hit her today, the biggest is the way her heart races at Lexa’s tiny display of emotion. The way she wants more than anything to just forget the past, and the war, and collapse into Lexa’s arms.

She clears her throat, focuses on the map spread out before her, and shakes the fog of emotion from her mind.

But when Lexa shifts slightly to surreptitiously press their arms together, she doesn’t move away.


End file.
